


let's go for a walk

by mikabutwithagun



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Comfort, Late Night Conversations, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 15:04:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4267797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikabutwithagun/pseuds/mikabutwithagun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chrom finds it difficult to rest after the loss of Emmeryn. Robin notices this and decides to do something about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	let's go for a walk

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this is a small gift for a friend on tumblr c: feel free to send more chrobin requests i can't get enough of them aha  
> this is my first fic i've written in... a while. and im not that great at writing. go easy on me, send me criticisms if you can!

Each night after the loss of Emmeryn was harder for Chrom. He could not sleep. He did not want to sleep. His dreams were filled with memories of the day it happened, and that was something he wished to never relive.

Everyone more or less knew he hadn’t gotten enough rest for the past week, but unanimously decided to let him be. They, save for Lissa, could not fully understand what he was going through, and had no real knowledge of how to help him through it all.

Robin worried the most for Chrom. He saw how it had affected him, how his entire demeanor changed in the course of a few days, and he didn’t blame him for it by any means; it just hurt to see him go through it.

Robin’s tent was dimly lit with a small candle set beside his cushion. For the first time in a long time, he found it difficult to fall asleep. He was stressed out—there was way too much on his head. He wanted to know if Chrom was okay, he wanted to be there for Chrom.

He stared at the roof of his brown tent; a wave of discontent had washed over him. He remembered the day he had met Chrom and the others, how he’d helped them save those innocent people. He felt like he had actually helped back then.

But this was different. This was something that had hurt Chrom, something that Robin didn’t slide in to help with. He’s a tactician before anything else, he should know more than anyone what to do, shouldn’t he?

For the first time ever, Robin didn’t know what to do.

He pulled his sheet off from on top of him, stood up, patted down his clothes, threw on his coat and pulled over the slips of the tent’s opening.

It wouldn’t hurt to at least try speaking to him, could it?

From outside his tent he looked around until he saw Chrom’s. Unlike everyone else’s, besides Robin’s, there was a dim light shining through the light tent coverings. He let out a sigh, regulated his rigid breathing and slowly made his way to Chrom’s tent with nervous clenched fists at his sides.

He really wasn’t sure what to do now—there was no door to knock on and it would be rude to intrude unannounced.

“C-Chrom? Are you awake?” he managed to whisper under his breath, only loud enough for him and Chrom to hear.

After a moment of silence, Robin tensed up. What if he’d made things awkward? Chrom was probably asleep, anyway. He turned on his heels and began to head his way b-

There was a sound of cloth ruffling together and the light behind him grew a bit lighter. Robin quickly snapped his entire body around to face the front of the tent.

Chrom was ducked down in the short tent and holding the cloth open with one hand, the other on the floor, “Yeah, sorry. Was the light keeping you up? I can blow it out; I was just, um, doing some thinking.”

Robin gave Chrom a gentle grin, “It’s quite alright. I couldn’t sleep, and I assumed you couldn’t either.”

“Huh, really? Why so?” Chrom asked as he leaned back into the tent and crossed his arms. Robin saw this as an invitation to enter, but decided to stand outside the tent regardless.

Robin rubbed the back of his head, “I’ve just noticed you’ve been up much later than usual.”

Chrom looked down at his feet, he tried his hardest to avoid eye contact, he really didn’t need Robin to know that moment before he called his name outside his tent that tears had welled up in his eyes.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Ah! No no, don’t be. It’s fine, really. It’s not really bothering anyone,” he paused for a moment and looked down at the prince, “Although, I’m fairly sure it’s bothering you quite a bit.”

Chrom disliked this—Robin was like Emmeryn in many ways, they both knew exactly how to pin point things that were bothering him and almost put him on the spot about it, in a way. He knew that in the end it always helped him feel better about whatever was on his mind, but, this was nothing like his previous ‘problems’.

“I’m okay, Robin. I just…Need to fix my sleeping schedule, is all.”

The shorter, white haired man shook his head. He extended his arm towards Chrom and put his hand out, “This is your tactician you’re talking to. You know, the one that so easily reads people, even complete strangers?—“ he had no idea why he was doing this, but it felt right, “—And you and I both know what you just said isn’t true. Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

Chrom looked up at Robin and raised an eyebrow, “It’s the middle of the night, Robin…”

“It’s not like either of us planned on going to sleep any time soon.”

He felt defeated. Chrom wanted to go with—he wanted to speak with Robin again, and he wanted to be able to fully enjoy his presence, but it felt wrong. He felt like he was almost disrespecting Emmeryn by not devoting time to properly mourn for her.

Chrom swallowed it down, however, and took Robin’s hand and let him pull him up onto his feet.

He let Robin guide him away from the tent and near a river that camp was set up near. Robin’s hand was tightly wrapped around Chrom’s, and he wasn’t sure if it was just because of how cold it was out at night, but he could feel Robin’s hand shaking a bit.

After about a minute or so of walking, Robin came to a halt and slowly released Chrom’s hand. He turned around to face him and closed his eyes. He took in a huge breath through his nose and a large grin was planted on his face, “Fresh air near rivers always helps calm me down.”

Chrom looked at Robin’s content face and felt almost envious—he wished he could be as calm and collected as the man before him, but he felt that at any given moment he would burst into tears. He also missed Robin’s hand around his, and wished Robin had never let go.

The way the moonlight hit Robin’s pale face and even paler hair made him look like he didn’t belong on this world—he was far too beautiful, at least he was for Chrom anyway. Would Robin find it weird for Chrom to think that of him? He shrugged it off and paid attention to whatever Robin was trying to achieve by bringing him here.

“Come on, let’s just enjoy this. It’s quiet, the air around us is fresh and…” Robin paused. He felt like he was being cliché and whatever he said now wouldn’t actually help Chrom feel any better. Chrom looked grim; he looked like he didn’t want to be here.

Chrom felt like he had hurt Robin. He wanted to be happy for him, but he just couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to be happy. He wondered if Robin knew grief. If he didn’t—well, let’s just say it was something Chrom would try his hardest to make sure he never felt.

Robin’s smile dropped. They were both silent, and he wanted to help. He so badly wanted to help Chrom. He wanted to see him smile, to hear his laugh again, but he didn’t know how to help him.

Robin moved in closer to Chrom, their chests nearly touching. His eyes were fixated on his own feet, “Chrom…”

His heart dropped. He acted out without thinking.

Robin reached down and grabbed both of Chrom’s hands with his own, “What’s wrong, Chrom?”

He was still looking down, but now at his hands clasped with the other mans.

Chrom swallowed down a knot in his throat, “I… I don’t know. I miss her Robin. I miss her more than anything.”

He didn’t have to say Emmeryn’s name for Robin to know who he was talking about.

“Do you want to maybe… Ah, forgive me, I really don’t understand much about this, but, would you maybe want to talk about it? You know, let your emotions out,” he asked Chrom. He found it difficult to look up, but he managed to, and he looked right at Chrom’s face, which looked pained.

Chrom sighed, “There’s not much to say. I have so much more responsibility now and—she didn’t deserve it. She… really did not. It should have been me, or, I should have saved her. I was weak. I couldn’t save her. It’s my fault we lost—I’m the leader, after all.”

Robin’s heart sank, “Chrom, that’s not true. It’s not your fault; we all did the best we could. There was no way around this, and,” he stopped for a moment and squeezed Chrom’s hands reassuringly, “it’s what she wanted.”

Chrom couldn’t hold it back anymore. Tears welled up in his eyes. He hadn’t thought of it like that—he blamed himself for it. He felt like Emmeryn had to do it because of his mistakes. They weren’t his mistakes though, were they? He did his best, and that’s what mattered.

Reluctantly, Chrom wriggled his left hand out of Robin’s grip and used it to grab Robin very lightly by the chin with his fingers. He angled his head up for him so they could look at each other.

Robin’s face rushed with heat, and Chrom noticed, and it caused a chain reaction for his cheeks lit up too. Robin’s eyes were twinkling in the moonlight and the soft sound of the water behind him calmed him down. The image of Robin standing so close in front of him, looking up right into his eyes—he wanted to burn it into his mind forever, it was so serene.

And the way Robin’s eyebrows dipped in, like he was almost worried that he had done something wrong, when really, he was the first person in days to make Chrom feel any other emotion than pity and sadness. Gods, he was perfect. He was the only other thing besides Emmeryn he felt he needs right now—and it took him quite a few days to realize that.

Robin opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, but stopped and bit his lip, forcing whatever he planned to say down and to keep it to himself. Chrom’s eyebrows shot up. Robin stood before him with half lidded eyes, a reddened face and biting his lip and—oh _Gods_.

He moved his hand from Robin’s chin to the small of his back and pulled him all the way in. Robin tensed at first, not sure what to do—their other hands were still clasped, so he did what Chrom did and laid the other on his back.

Chrom rested his head on his shoulder and let the tears he tried to hide from Robin’s vision come out. He nuzzled his nose against Robin’s neck and lightly sobbed.

Robin got on his toes to make it more comfortable for Chrom and slowly made circles on his back. Honestly, he had no clue what he was doing, but it seemed like he was doing something right.

He could feel the warm liquid of Chrom’s tears again his neck and it sent a shiver down his spine. This was hurting him—he didn’t like seeing Chrom like this, but figured this was something he needed, so he endured.

Chrom pulled back and covered his face with his hand as he wiped away tears.

“I’m sorry, this is—embarrassing,” he murmured.

Robin shook his head and used his free hand to wipe away one of Chrom’s tears with his thumb, “Are you feeling better?”

Chrom nodded lightly, his hand still slightly covering his face. Robin moved the hand being held by Chrom around a bit so their fingers would interlock, “Let’s go finish our walk then.”

And then Robin saw it—and it felt like he’d waited an eternity to see it—Chrom smiled.

“Alright, you lead the way.”

For about a half hour, Robin and Chrom walked silently side by side. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, it was relaxing. Every now and then, Robin would gently squeeze Chrom’s hand to assure him that he was here for him, no matter what.

Chrom stopped in his tracks, “Robin? May I ask you something?”

Robin halted as well and faced him, “Of course.”

“Why were you up? It’s the middle of the night, you know.”

“W-Well, I… Um, I was…” he stammered, “I was worried about… stuff.”

Chrom had to bite his tongue to hold back a giggle, “What stuff?”

Robin scoffed, “Whatever, Chrom it doesn’t matter. L-Let’s keep walking, this is good for you! It’s ‘cheer up Chrom hour’ right now, alright? Not ‘let’s ask Robin unnecessary questions hour’.”

Chrom couldn’t help it, he let out a small laugh at how embarrassed the other man seemed. Gods, he was so cute. Chrom wished the timing would be better for them—that they could have spent this night together talking about happier things, that they were out here because they couldn’t sleep from all the celebrating done beforehand, not because of how badly things had gone to shit around them.

But Chrom took what he could get, and really, this wasn’t so bad. He liked this a lot, a bit more than he’d be willing to admit.

Robin let out a puff of breath and pulled him back the other way, “We should head back, it is really late.”

Chrom flinched, “Ah, did I offend you? I’m sorry.”

Robin shook his head, still pushing forward, “No, I’m just tired, promise.”

He turned back and gave him a quick smile, which helped ease Chrom.

“I’ll walk you to your tent,” Robin informed Chrom as he tightened his grip around the other man’s hand and picked up his pace.

Chrom was grateful. He felt undeserving of Robin.

They eventually made their way back to the camp and headed towards Chrom’s tent. Robin opened it for him and made his way inside afterwards.

“Are you going to be able to sleep?” Robin poked as he stepped closer to Chrom.

He nodded, “Yes. T-Thank you, Robin.”

“Okay then, I’ll be heading back to my tent now then,” he said with a wave and smile on his face. He ducked down to open the tent, but felt a slight tug on the cuff of his sleeve.

“Uh… Robin?” Chrom called nervously, his voice practically shaking, “If you wanted to stay here for the rest of the night, that would be alright with me. It would be more than alright—I mean, only if you wanted to, of course.”

Robin felt a rush of liquid heat course through him, “I’d love to.”

He crawled back into the tent and took off his coat, then slide into the arrangements of sheets on the floor, “Is it fine if I slept here?”

Chrom tried to speak, but found it hard to, so he nodded. He slid in near Robin, but not quite under the sheet and more-so on the floor than on the make-shift blanket mattress.

Robin rolled his eyes and lifted up one corner of the sheet, revealing free space right next to him for Chrom to slide in to.

“C’mere.”

Chrom stiffened, “Is it alright for me to—“

“Chrom..”

He slowly slid next to Robin, their faces extremely close now. Robin threw half of the sheet over Chrom and slid in a bit closer so they could keep warm.

Robin put a hand on Chrom’s cold cheek and whispered, “This is alright Chrom. Really, this is very much alright.”

Chrom’s heart was practically beating out of his chest—he was afraid that Robin could hear it. He was so lucky.

“Robin… It’s late. And I’m not sure if either of us is fully awake but… I’m so glad it was me. I mean, I am so glad it was me that found you asleep in that field.”

Robin’s heart skipped a beat. Chrom put his arms around Robin and pulled him in even closed, as he slowly intertwined their legs.

Both of them were piles of heat at that moment. Robin was sure his entire face had gone completely red—Chrom’s eyes were closed and there was a soft smile on his face. He looked so peaceful… He looked happy.

“Sleep well, Robin.”

Robin smiled and leaned his forehead against Chrom’s, “Good night.”

 

 

 

 


End file.
